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Accident Reconstruction News Article Gov't Proposes New Car Roof Crush Standard WASHINGTON (AP) -- Automakers would have to build stronger
roofs for big SUVs and pickup trucks under rules proposed Friday to protect
people in rollover crashes. The plan issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would require roofs to withstand direct pressure of 2.5 times the vehicle weight, increasing the current rule of 1.5 times the weight. It also would seek new information on other ways to protect occupants in rollovers, including potential use of improved seat belt technology. "It will take a comprehensive strategy to reduce the staggering number of rollover deaths on the nation's highways," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge. "Improving roof strength is an integral part of that plan." Rollover crashes account for more than one-third of traffic fatalities. Last year, 10,553 people died in rollover crashes, up from 10,442 in 2003. About 60 percent of the people killed were not wearing seat belts. NHTSA said an estimated 596 fatalities and 807 serious injuries a year involve people wearing seat belts who come into contact with a collapsed roof during a rollover crash. Rollovers and the issue of roof crush have led to wide disagreement among auto industry and safety groups. The industry has questioned whether strengthening roofs would provide more protection, pointing to the large number of people killed in rollovers who were not wearing seat belts. But safety advocates contend that when a roof is crushed, it makes seat belts less likely to work and the occupant more likely to be ejected from the vehicle. They have pushed for stronger standards than those included in the government's proposal. "It's going to get rid of the absolute worst ones but the fact is that vehicles that can meet this are still seriously unsafe if you roll them over," said Carl Nash, a former NHTSA official who has conducted research on roof crush for XPrts LLC, a California legal research firm. Some safety groups expressed concern over the proposal's language that could prevent plaintiffs from suing automakers if they fail to have roof crush standards even stronger than the federal rules. Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Auto Safety, said it would be "used as a shield against future product liability lawsuits." The proposal, which will now receive input from automakers and safety groups, is expected to cost the industry $88 million to $95 million a year and is projected to save 13 to 44 lives per year. It could prevent 500 to 800 injuries a year, according to NHTSA. Lou Carlin, director of safety integration for General Motors Corp., said the world's largest automaker was reviewing the proposal but did not anticipate any major problems implementing the plan. "There is going to be no question that we are going to be able to meet the requirements that are outlined" in the proposal, Carlin said. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group that represents nine automakers, said it supported work to "enhance real-world safety in all types of motor vehicle crashes, including rollovers." It said it would review the proposal, which could take effect as early as 2009. Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler declined to comment on the proposal and Toyota Motor Corp. said it could not immediately comment on it. Nissan Motor Co. said it was studying the proposal. Auto safety regulators have been working on the proposal since 2001. Congress last month directed the government to issue a new roof-strength standard. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.nhtsa.gov/
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